


Something New

by veenaistired



Category: Naruto
Genre: A whole lot of shenanigans, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 17:30:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19398970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veenaistired/pseuds/veenaistired
Summary: Her eyes widen at his reply and she seems to be somewhat relieved at the fact that he’s on her side in this. He considers the topic done and over with and for a few minutes they keep waiting in silence, so he’s vaguely surprised when she speaks up again.„Neji have you… ever been kissed?“---Tenten asks Neji if he's had his first kiss yet and things escalate.





	Something New

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have ongoing multichapter fics right now, but this one-shot was holding me at gunpoint, so naturally, I wrote it. Have fun reading!

The day starts out like any other, nothing out of the ordinary. It's the crack of dawn and Neji has just arrived at Team 9's regular meeting point, ready for training. He's a little early, it seems, as nobody else is there yet. Suits him just fine. He likes having some alone time to prepare, some peace and quiet before the noise rolls in. Still, even though he would never admit it to them, or anyone else for that matter, he's grown quite attached to his teammates. Over the years they have come to achieve a level of understanding for each other that only comes with spending a lot of time together. Neji would even consider them friends. That said, they can be unbearably loud from time to time, especially Gai and Lee. The young Hyuuga allows himself to close his eyes for a second, enjoying the cool morning breeze. His little impromptu meditation doesn't last long, however, as he hears footsteps approaching at a brisk pace. When Neji opens his eyes, he's greeted by the familiar sight of Tenten walking towards him. 

„Sensei Gai and Lee aren’t here yet, huh?“, she states, foregoing any greetings or other pleasantries. It’s one of the things he values about their relationship: they are always straightforward with each other, no talking around something that needs to be said, just like when they battle. On missions, they work together like a well-oiled machine, quick and efficient. So to him, it only makes sense that they interact like that in a more casual setting as well. 

„They are probably caught up in some silly contest“, he answers, knowing that she’s fed up with it too. Tenten’s tolerance for the two’s loudness and boundless excitement is higher than his own, that's for sure, but even she gets burned out on it from time to time. By being the more level-headed and calm part of the team, they’ve forged somewhat of a special bond over the years. Together, they manage to balance out the electrifying energies constantly radiating from the duo in green. 

Meanwhile, girl next to him gives him a small nod as a sign that she’s acknowledged the statement and leans back against the trunk of the tree they’re standing under. As they lounge in the shade of the leaves, a comfortable silence settles between them. Where, to an outsider, it may seem like they’re ignoring each other, to them it’s a nonverbal form of communication and a comfortable one at that. During years of rigorous training and dangerous missions, they’ve learned to read each other almost perfectly. The two don’t need to speak because they can find the answers they’re looking for within a gesture or an expression. That’s why, today, Neji can tell almost immediately that something is off about her.

„Is something the matter?“

Tenten looks over to him, only mildly surprised at the sudden question. „No, I- I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.“ 

He never thought Tenten to be much of a liar, he still doesn’t, but it’s obvious that there’s something wrong with her answer. From how she speaks to the way she is carrying herself today, that much is clear. She seems distracted, bothered even. If she doesn’t want to tell him that’s fine. After all, Neji has no business snooping around in her personal affairs if she doesn’t want him to. Still, he wants to make sure his teammate is ready to give it her all today. If they were to be sent on a mission with her in such a distracted state, that could have severe consequences.

„Are you sure? I won’t push it, but something seems to be weighing on you.“

For a second she says nothing, the hesitation written all over her face. Then, she finally speaks, none of the usual confidence to be found in her voice. „It’s just… ugh, this is going to sound stupid, lately, all the other girls ever talk about is kissing people. Like, all the time“ His partner lets out a big sigh, the annoyment more than evident in the small gesture. 

Neji can’t help but to be taken aback by this. It’s not what he expected. Not at all. His surprise must have been apparent, because Tenten quickly looks away, before saying: „See, I told you it was dumb.“ Usually, he would have agreed with her, but as it turns out, kissing is the one topic the other boys keep coming back to as well. A fact that bothers him to no end, since he doesn’t exactly have any experience to talk about. 

„It’s fine, the boys do it too. It’s annoying.“ 

Her eyes widen at his reply and she seems to be somewhat relieved at the fact that he’s on her side in this. He considers the topic done and over with and for a few minutes they keep waiting in silence, so he’s vaguely surprised when she speaks up again.

„Neji have you… ever been kissed?“ 

The question throws him off, not because he doesn’t have an answer, but because he’s worried that it will change how she thinks of him. It’s stupid. Tenten isn’t shallow like that and since when does he even care what other people think? For a second he considers not responding, it’s doubtful she’d be mad at him. But in a situation like this, no answer is as good as a straight no and he doesn’t even consider lying to her and saying yes.

„No, I haven’t“, he answers, as straightforward as possible. A strange nervous tension immediately spreads through him, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. This was a mistake. 

„Really?!“, she begins, sounding oddly cheerful all of a sudden. „Whew, and I already thought I was the only one.“ 

Now that’s surprising. Tenten usually is pretty up to date with what the others do, so naturally, he figured that she’d already gotten her first kiss. Wait. Why does he even care? She’s his teammate. His friend. What does it matter to him if she goes around kissing people or not? Neji decides that it doesn’t and falls silent again. The next thing she says, however, completely catches him off guard.

„Do you think we should kiss?“ 

_What?!_ Neji can’t even begin to wrap his head around why his teammate would ask such a question and even less why she’d ask him, of all people. His brain has effectively turned into mush. Even if he knew what to answer in the first place, in this state he probably couldn’t string the words together anyway. Thankfully, Tenten doesn’t wait for a reaction, before she speaks up again, the nervousness giving a slight pitch to her voice.

„Just to have it over with, I mean. To see what all the fuss is about.“

That… makes sense. He _thinks_. It sounds like a mutually beneficial arrangement. After hearing people talk about it basically non-stop, he has to admit he’s a little curious about kissing himself. Besides, not having to endure the other’s knowing stares about his own inexperience when they inevitably talk about the topic again sounds quite pleasant. Caught up in his own thoughts, Neji doesn’t realize for a while that Tenten is still waiting for his answer. He clears his throat.

„Alright.“ God, he hopes that his voice sounds more secure than he feels right now. His palms are sweaty. Weird, that’s never happened before. 

„Great, uh… we should probably step closer together then, huh?“ She’s right, but somehow getting himself to move is almost impossible. Once more, she takes the initiative by taking a big step towards him, so they’re almost nose to nose. Neji can feel his heart pounding in his chest, but why? He’s been in close proximity to her more often than he can count. Fighting back-to-back during missions, going all out sparring, even carrying each other on some occasions, when the exhaustion unexpectedly set in. They’ve casually touched each other so many times, it makes absolutely no sense he’s so nervous about it now. After all, kissing, in theory, is just touching, but with lips. When his teammate suddenly puts both of her hands on his shoulders, the young Hyuuga has to do everything in his power not to flinch. Having absolutely no idea where to put his hands, he lets them awkwardly hover over her sides, before settling them on her waist. This is how it’s supposed to work, right?

„Ah- is this alright?“, he asks, unsure of what to do next.

„Y-Yeah, all good. We just need to get a little closer now.“ She’s right. Their faces are only centimeters apart, so close that he can feel her breath on his skin. All he needs to do now is lean down a little. Press his lips onto hers. But for some reason, he finds himself unable to move, stuck in the moment. Her brown eyes catch his light ones, and he completely and utterly loses himself in them. Have they always been so dark? They’re framed by long, dense lashes and Neji can’t help but think they're beautiful. She’s beautiful. Up close he can see freckles, barely visible, dusting her tan cheeks like stars. He’d like to count them. Looking down to her lips, he notices they’re full and red. The young shinobi had never paid attention to his teammate's lips before, but now they’re all he sees. They look soft. He wants to know how they’d feel on his own, he realizes. Swept up in a sudden wave of confidence, he starts leaning in, slowly so she has the chance to pull away if she wants to quit. Not that she’d need it because she’s both incredibly fast and strong and could just knock him on his ass if she changed her mind now. But she doesn’t. Instead, Tenten mirrors his movement, leaning in closer while rising up on her tiptoes to breach their difference in height. Subconsciously, his eyelids flutter closed. That’s what you're supposed to do when you’re kissing anyways. At least from what he knows. By now he’s sure his heart is going to come flying out of his chest from how hard it’s beating. She’s so close, he can feel the warmth radiating off her face. Just a little closer and-

**„OH MY GOD ARE YOU TWO KISSING!?“**

As if struck by lighting, the pair jumps apart, clumsily bumping foreheads in the process, their headbands making a clacking noise as they slam together. Compared to the intense rush of emotions that are coursing through him right now, the pain is nothing. Lee and his teacher stand before them, eyes wide as saucers. If he had to describe how he's feeling at the moment, "mortified" pretty much hits the spot. Next to him, Tenten has turned as red as a beet, though Neji doubts he's faring much better. His cheeks are burning. The question Lee shouted out just seconds ago still hangs in the air, heavily, awaiting an answer. But his brain has stopped processing any rational thoughts, overcome by a kind of panic he's never felt before.

Thankfully, mercifully Tenten seems to have pulled herself together enough to give a reply. **"NO WE ARE NOT!!"** Her voice easily matches their other teammate's in loudness and, for once, Neji is grateful for it.

"But you-", Lee tries again but is promptly cut off.

"What are you two so late for anyways! Let's start training, I didn't come here to stand around." With that, she pushes past the rest of Team 9 and strides off, expecting them to follow her to their usual training spot. Which they do, but not before both Gai and his favorite student throw Neji a _look._

Training doesn't go great. In fact, it goes horribly. No matter what he does or how hard he tries, Neji just can't concentrate. He ends up getting hit by Lee's attacks and eating dirt indefinitely more often than usual, which only serves to fuel his irritation. What's even worse is, that while he underperforms by an amount that simply isn’t acceptable for a Hyuuga, Tenten doesn't seem all that bothered by the incident. There seems to be a tad less strength behind her throws and even her famed accuracy suffers a little, but those things aside she handles herself well. From what he can see, anyway. Which is not a whole lot since he barely even dares to look at her. In other words: it's a nightmare of a situation. It's a lucky coincidence their team wasn't scheduled for a mission today, it would have been an invitation for disaster. After the whole ordeal is over, Tenten is gone at a speed none of the other three have ever seen her demonstrate before, barely even saying goodbye. Neji is just about to make himself scarce as well, ready to take his mind off of the situation, when Gai holds him back. He's even sent Lee home, which, considering the two's usual routine, doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe his teacher wants to scold him for his lackluster performance. Fair enough. 

Once again, however, life throws him a complete curveball. 

„Ah, first love, one of the most beautiful parts of youth“, he begins and Neji instantly doesn’t like where this is going. 

„Sensei, if this has nothing to do with training, I will-“, before he can finish the sentence, Gai plants both of his hands firmly on his students shoulders, looking at him in a way that makes it clear Neji will listen to what his teacher has to say, willingly or not. The gesture effectively shuts him up. He’s in no state to fight Maito Gai today. 

„As I said“, he continues, his voice sounding notably more serious than before, „Falling in love is an exciting experience. However, young Neji, there are certain things you should be aware of. You see, when two people like each other very much, things can get, well… heated.“

Wait. _Wait._ Is his Sensei giving him _the talk!?_ At that exact moment, Neji wishes for nothing more than to be swallowed up by the ground. This can’t be real. It is, as it turns out and he can do nothing but to stand there, mortified. A few years ago his uncle had taken it upon himself to educate him on the nature of human reproduction and, up to this day, it’s one of his most unpleasant memories. But this, _this_ is infinitely worse. He tries to let his mind drift off as far as possible, while his teacher says words and things the younger man never wanted to hear out Gai’s mouth. Things he thinks Neji and Tenten are doing. _Together._ Leaving Konoha and becoming a Nuke-Nin doesn’t sound so bad right about now. Even if the ANBU were to get him, it couldn’t be worse than this. After his teacher is done explaining the intricacies of human sexuality in excruciating detail, he pats the younger ninja on the shoulder in a way a father might do to his son, before adding: „It’s great that you two are having fun, but remember to be safe!“ Obviously proud of himself, he then says his goodbyes for the night and walks off.

This is a bad dream. It _has_ to be. If he’d known that Tenten’s proposition would cause such an avalanche of horrible events, he never would have said yes. As it turns out, thinking about this morning is a mistake in itself, because, suddenly, his thoughts are far removed from reality and on Tenten’s lips again. _Get. It. Together._

The entire evening he’s even more abrasive than usual and when nighttime rolls around, sleep keeps eluding him. Every time Neji closes his eyes, the image of his teammate’s face, only centimeters apart from his own, projects in his mind. Even though he lies on his futon, still as a dead man, his heart keeps pounding as if he’d just run a marathon. By the time the young man finally falls asleep, it’s already so close to dawn that he doesn’t even catch a full hour of rest. 

The next day, training goes much the same way as before, except he’s somehow managed to get a hold of himself, his performance back on the level it should be. Still, Tenten and he don’t speak as much as a word to each other, except for hurried greetings and goodbyes. This goes on for over a week despite Neji’s hopes that, maybe, if they were to ignore the problem, things would go back to the way they were. Truth be told, he misses his friend. The pair was never one for long conversations or obvious displays of affection but they always trusted each other, without a doubt. Now, the only form of interaction between them is when they accidentally catch each others gaze, which just ends in both of them awkwardly looking at the ground as if it held all the secrets of the universe. He knows they need to talk about this, lest their teamwork dissipate into smoke completely, but he just can’t bring himself to approach her. For the first time in his life, the word „coward“ applies to Neji.

The two finally hit their breaking point, when Gai puts them up against each other in a spar. 

„Give it your all! Show me the full power of your youth!“

Easier said than done. They have sparred countless times, but today the energy is different from before. He needs to stop this. After all, he’s a shinobi first, and Neji Hyuuga second and he won’t allow himself to be distracted in battle anymore. The village places its trust in him, and if something as small as an almost kiss can reduce his skills by even the slightest amount, he simply has no business working in this profession. So he plants his feet firmly into the ground, activates his Byakugan and steels himself.

„Go!“ Gai’s voice echoes out across the field, accompanied by loud cheers from Lee.

He moves, feet hitting the ground at a pace as fast as he can muster. Meanwhile, Tenten has unleashed a rain of kunai upon him, which he all either dodges or deflects with the help of the Hyuuga’s Kekkei Genkai. So far so good. He keeps approaching his opponent, this time narrowly dodging a multitude of shuriken. That is when he makes the fatal mistake. Neji’s eyes snap up to where she has vaulted herself up through a powerful jump and meet hers. Instantly, he feels a surge of tension rush to his body and all of his carefully laid strategies fall away like withered petals. Both of them stop dead in their tracks, standing there motionlessly, like scarecrows on a field. A hundred years pass within less than a second, and if he didn’t know better he’d think they were trapped in a powerful Genjutsu. Tenten is the first to recover, summoning a bo and charging towards where he is rooted to the ground. At the last second, the young man manages to pull himself out of his stupor and narrowly dodges the staff. After that, he somehow regains his composure and the battle continues. Until he manages to knock the weapon out of her firm grip, that is. For the tiniest fragment of a moment, she will be wide open. If he moves now, he wins, but as he closes the distance to grab and slam her onto the ground, he is reminded of how his hands felt on her waist. The moment of distraction is all it takes for his opponent to deliver a kick that sends him flying. Not able to catch himself in time, Neji is catapulted out of the ring. The fight is over.

This is it. They need to talk this out, no matter how hard it may be. He might have lost the spar, but Tenten wasn’t on top of her game either and both of them know it. 

The rest of the day passes by in a blur, not giving him nearly enough time to figure out what he actually wants to say to her. When training is done and over with, Gai and Lee run off to do one of their ridiculous routines, leaving him and Tenten alone with their silence. 

„We should-“

„I was-“

Because the situation wasn’t awkward enough already, they both start speaking at the same time, effectively cutting each other off. 

„You go first“, she quickly squeaks out, before they can repeat their accidental mistake. He takes a second to collect himself. Breathe in. Breath out. Nice and steady.

„This needs to stop.“ Real smooth. It wasn’t at all what he’d had in mind, but somehow his mouth had taken control, not responding to his brain’s commands. 

„Y-Yeah… you’re right.“ She sounds somewhat, nervous, but there is something else reverberating in her voice. Something he can’t identify. „All of this is my fault for suggesting this stupid deal. I’m sorry.“

Her apology sounds genuine, but Neji isn’t about to let Tenten take all of the blame for something that is equally his fault. „It’s alright, I agreed to it after all. It seems we’ve both made a mistake.“ At this something twists in his gut. But _why?_ The whole situation was, after all, just that. Something they should kill and bury once and for all. So why is he feeling this way?

„Of course. A mistake.“ Is that sadness in her voice? Surely, he’s imagining things. 

„Let’s just forget this ever happened. We can just go back to how things were before.“ The young Hyuuga is less and less sure about his own words. Is that really what he wants? Can he really forget the memory of being so close to each other they were breathing the same air? Back on that day both of them had leaned in after all. No. Neji can’t expect her to feel the same way about this and he doesn’t want to make the situation even worse by pushing the matter in a direction she doesn’t want to go. 

„Yes, that’s… probably what’s best.“ Where he thought to feel relief, there is only disappointment. He’ll live. It’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make in order to save their partnership. For a second, neither one of them speaks. The silence between them is heavy, not at all like when they almost kissed. It’s a bad kind of silence, so in a desperate attempt to break it, he offers Tenten his hand, stretching it out in front of his torso in an almost clumsy manner.

„Let’s shake on it. To make it official.“ 

Her eyes wander from his face to his hand, back to his face. He’s terrified she isn’t going to accept the handshake, this armistice in disguise. But somewhere, a part of him buried deep under all the worry and anxiety of the last days wishes she’d do just that. Neji realizes he wants to kiss her after all. But it’s too late. The offer is made and he can’t take it back now. She steps closer, reaching out towards him. His heart sinks. Their hands almost touch but, in true Tenten fashion, she does the thing he expects the least.

„I’m sorry, but I can’t“, she says in a voice so low it’s almost a whisper. Her fingers have closed around his wrist, lowering it and decimating their little truce. He wants to say something, but the way she looks up at him makes it clear that she isn’t finished. „On that day I… I didn’t just ask because I wanted to kiss someone. I asked because I wanted to kiss _you._ “ Oh. That puts things into perspective. Frantically, he searches even the darkest corners of his brain in order to procure some kind of answer. Seconds pass. Then a few more. He’s so caught up in his own mind that his teammate withdrawing her hand comes as somewhat of a shock. 

„God I’m- this is so stupid, I’m sorry. I really should go.“ The way her face falls hurts worse than a punch to the gut. Possessed by a sudden urgency, he stops her before she can turn around. 

"Wait!" Tenten completely freezes up, looking at him expectantly. He's done it now. No matter the outcome, there is no going back. "I- It's the same for me. About the kissing, I mean." Tenten's eyes light up like a lantern and Neji swears it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. By now, his heart is once again beating faster than usual and he's quite sure he's blushing.

"Wait. So does that- I mean", for a second she struggles finding the right words, but the sentence ends up forming perfectly well in the end, "Do you want to try again?" 

Yes. His answer is clear as day, but he's afraid that his voice is going to fail, so Neji gives her a decisive nod instead. They step towards each other, just like last time. Today, however, there isn't as much hesitation in their motions. They feel familiar. Face to face again, they just look at each other for a second. During that single moment, a thousand words are exchanged just through their unwavering glances. Finally, the pair closes their eyes and leans in.

They end up bumping noses and the kiss is so light, it's barely even there. Unsure of what to do next, they stand there, still holding each other close.

"That was...", _underwhelming_ , Neji wants to say, but he holds himself back. "...not what I expected." It's the truth, and for a second he's afraid Tenten is just going to leave.

"We should try again", she says instead. 

And, with only the sinking sun as their witness, they do just that. This time, it's everything they expected and more.


End file.
